any rate, the avowal is made; and it is for Colonel Everard to
consider how he is to conduct himself."

"Oh, your Majesty! my Liege! my King! my royal Prince!" exclaimed
Wildrake, who, at length discovering what was passing, had crawled on
his knees, and seizing the King's hand, was kissing it, more like a
child mumbling gingerbread, or like a lover devouring the yielded hand
of his mistress, than in the manner in which such salutations pass at
court--"If my dear friend Mark Everard should prove a dog on this
occasion, rely on me I will cut his throat on the spot, were I to do the
same for myself the moment afterwards!"

"Hush, hush, my good friend and loyal subject," said the King, "and
compose yourself; for though I am obliged to put on the Prince for a
moment, we have not privacy or safety to receive our subjects in King
Cambyses' vein."

Everard, who had stood for a time utterly confounded, awoke at length
like a man from a dream.

"Sire," he said, bowing low, and with profound deference, "if I do not
offer you the homage of a subject with knee and sword, it is because
God, by whom kings reign, has denied you for the present the power of
ascending your throne without rekindling civil war. For your safety
being endangered by me, let not such an imagination for an instant cross
your mind. Had I not respected your person--were I not bound to you for
the candour with which your noble avowal has prevented the misery of my
future life, your misfortunes would have rendered your person as sacred,
so far as I can protect it, as it could be esteemed by the most devoted
royalist in the kingdom. If your plans are soundly considered, and
securely laid, think that all which is now passed is but a dream. If
they are in such a state that I can aid them, saving my duty to the
Commonwealth, which will permit me to be privy to no schemes of actual
violence, your Majesty may command my services."

"It may be I may be troublesome to you, sir," said the King; "for my
fortunes are not such as to permit me to reject even the most limited
offers of assistance; but if I can, I will dispense with applying to
you. I would not willingly put any man's compassion at war with his
sense of duty on my account.--Doctor, I think there will be no farther
tilting to-day, either with sword or cane; so we may as well return to
the Lodge, and leave these"--looking at Alice and Everard--"who may have
more to say in explanation."

"No--no!" exclaimed Alice, who was now perfectly come to herself, and
partly by her own observation, and partly from the report of Dr.
Rochecliffe, comprehended all that had taken place--"My cousin Everard
and I have nothing to explain; he will forgive me for having riddled
with him when I dared not speak plainly; and I forgive him for having
read my riddle wrong. But my father has my promise--we must not
correspond or converse for the present--I return instantly to the Lodge,
and he to Woodstock, unless you, sire," bowing to the King, "command his
duty otherwise. Instant to the town, Cousin Markham; and if danger
should approach, give us warning."

Everard would have delayed her departure, would have excused himself for
his unjust suspicion, would have said a thousand things; but she would
not listen to him, saying, for all other answer,--"Farewell, Markham,
till God send better days!"

"She is an angel of truth and beauty," said Roger Wildrake; "and I, like
a blasphemous heretic, called her a Lindabrides!" [Footnote: A sort of
court name for a female of no reputation.] But has your Majesty, craving
your pardon, no commands for poor Hodge Wildrake, who will blow out his
own or any other man's brains in England, to do your Grace a pleasure?"

"We entreat our good friend Wildrake to do nothing hastily," said
Charles, smiling; "such brains as his are rare, and should not be rashly
dispersed, as the like may not be easily collected. We recommend him to
be silent and prudent--to tilt no more with loyal clergymen of the
Church of England, and to get himself a new jacket with all convenient
speed, to which we beg to contribute our royal aid. When fit time comes,
we hope to find other service for him."

As he spoke, he slid ten pieces into the hand of poor Wildrake, who,
confounded with the excess of his loyal gratitude, blubbered like a
child, and would have followed the King, had not Dr. Rochecliffe, in few
words, but peremptory, insisted that he should return with his patron,
promising him he should certainly be employed in assisting the King's
escape, could an opportunity be found of using his services.

"Be so generous, reverend sir, and you bind me to you for ever," said
the cavalier; "and I conjure you not to keep malice against me on
account of the foolery you wot of."

"I have no occasion, Captain Wildrake," said the Doctor, "for I think I
had the best of it."

"Well, then, Doctor, I forgive you on my part: and I pray you, for
Christian charity, let me have a finger in this good service; for as I
live in hope of it, rely that I shall die of disappointment."

While the Doctor and soldier thus spoke together, Charles took leave of
Everard, (who remained uncovered while he spoke to him,) with his usual
grace--"I need not bid you no longer be jealous of me," said the King;
"for I presume you will scarce think of a match betwixt Alice and me,
which would be too losing a one on her side. For other thoughts, the
wildest libertine could not entertain them towards so high-minded a
creature; and believe me, that my sense of her merit did not need this
last distinguished proof of her truth and loyalty. I saw enough of her
from her answers to some idle sallies of gallantry, to know with what a
lofty character she is endowed. Mr. Everard, her happiness I see depends
on you, and I trust you will be the careful guardian of it. If we can
take any obstacle out of the way of your joint happiness, be assured we
will use our influence.--Farewell, sir; if we cannot be better friends,
do not at least let us entertain harder or worse thoughts of each other
than we have now."

There was something in the manner of Charles that was extremely
affecting; something too, in his condition as a fugitive in the kingdom
which was his own by inheritance, that made a direct appeal to Everard's
bosom--though in contradiction to the dictates of that policy which he
judged it his duty to pursue in the distracted circumstances of the
country. He remained, as we have said, uncovered; and in his manner
testified the highest expression of reverence, up to the point when such
might seem a symbol of allegiance. He bowed so low as almost to approach
his lips to the hand of Charles--but he did not kiss it.--"I would
rescue your person, sir," he said, "with the purchase of my own life.
More"--He stopped short, and the King took up his sentence where it
broke off--"More you cannot do," said Charles, "to maintain an
honourable consistency--but what you have said is enough. You cannot
render homage to my proffered hand as that of a sovereign, but you will
not prevent my taking yours as a friend--if you allow me to call myself
so--I am sure, as a well-wisher at least."

The generous soul of Everard was touched--He took the King's hand, and
pressed it to his lips.

"Oh!" he said, "were better times to come"--

"Bind yourself to nothing, dear Everard," said the good-natured Prince,
partaking his emotion--"We reason ill while our feelings are moved. I
will recruit no man to his loss, nor will I have my fallen fortunes
involve those of others, because they have humanity enough to pity my
present condition. If better times come, why we will meet again, and I
hope to our mutual satisfaction. If not, as your future father-in-law
would say," (a benevolent smile came over his face, and accorded not
unmeetly with his glistening eyes,)--"If not, this parting was well
made."

Everard turned away with a deep bow, almost choking under contending
feelings; the uppermost of which was a sense of the generosity with
which Charles, at his own imminent risk, had cleared away the darkness
that seemed about to overwhelm his prospects of happiness for life--
mixed with a deep sense of the perils by which he was environed. He
returned to the little town, followed by his attendant Wildrake, who
turned back so often, with weeping eyes, and hands clasped and uplifted
as supplicating Heaven, that Everard was obliged to remind him that his
gestures might be observed by some one, and occasion suspicion.

The generous conduct of the King during the closing part of this
remarkable scene, had not escaped Alice's notice; and, erasing at once
from her mind all resentment of Charles's former conduct, and all the
suspicions they had deservedly excited, awakened in her bosom a sense of
the natural goodness of his disposition, which permitted her to unite
regard for his person, with that reverence for his high office in which
she had been educated as a portion of her creed. She felt convinced, and
delighted with the conviction, that his virtues were his own, his
libertinism the fault of education, or rather want of education, and the
corrupting advice of sycophants and flatterers. She could not know, or
perhaps did not in that moment consider, that in a soil where no care is
taken to eradicate tares, they will outgrow and smother the wholesome
seed, even if the last is more natural to the soil. For, as Dr.
Rochecliffe informed her afterwards for her edification, promising, as
was his custom, to explain the precise words on some future occasion, if
she would put him in mind--_Virtus rectorem ducemque desiderat; Vitia
sine magistro discuntur_. [Footnote: The quotations of the learned
doctor and antiquary were often left uninterpreted, though seldom
incommunicated, owing to his contempt for those who did not understand
the learned languages, and his dislike to the labour of translation, for
the benefit of ladies and of country gentlemen. That fair readers and
country thanes may not on this occasion burst in ignorance, we add the
meaning of the passage in the text--"Virtue requires the aid of a
governor and director; vices are learned without a teacher."] There was
no room for such reflections at present. Conscious of mutual sincerity,
by a sort of intellectual communication, through which individuals are
led to understand each other better, perhaps, in delicate circumstances,
than by words, reserve and simulation appeared to be now banished from
the intercourse between the King and Alice. With manly frankness, and,
at the same time, with princely condescension, he requested her,
exhausted as she was, to accept of his arm on the way homeward, instead
of that of Dr. Rochecliffe; and Alice accepted of his support with
modest humility, but without a shadow of mistrust or fear. It seemed as
if the last half hour had satisfied them perfectly with the character of
each other, and that each had full conviction of the purity and
sincerity of the other's intentions.

Dr. Rochecliffe, in the meantime, had fallen some four or five paces
behind; for, less light and active than Alice, (who had, besides, the
assistance of the King's support,) he was unable, without effort and
difficulty, to keep up with the pace of Charles, who then was, as we
have elsewhere noticed, one of the best walkers in England, and was
sometimes apt to forget (as great men will) that others were inferior to
him in activity.

"Dear Alice," said the King, but as if the epithet were entirely
fraternal, "I like your Everard much--I would to God he were of our
determination--But since that cannot be, I am sure he will prove a
generous enemy." "May it please you, sire," said Alice, modestly, but
with some firmness, "my cousin will never be your Majesty's personal
enemy--and he is one of the few on whose slightest word you may rely
more than on the oath of those who profess more strongly and formally.
He is utterly incapable of abusing your Majesty's most generous and
voluntary confidence."

"What! Louis was a saucy companion--a naughty presuming boy--and you
cannot abide him?--Well, perhaps you are right--But we will wait for Dr.
Rochecliffe"--he said, desirous, with good-natured delicacy, to make
Alice aware that he had no purpose of engaging her in any discussion
which could recall painful ideas. They paused accordingly, and again she
felt relieved and grateful.

"I cannot persuade our fair friend, Mistress Alice, Doctor," said the
King, "that she must, in prudence, forbear using titles of respect to
me, while there are such very slender means of sustaining them."

"It is a reproach to earth and to fortune," answered the divine, as fast
as his recovered breath would permit him, "that your most sacred
Majesty's present condition should not accord with the rendering of
those honours which are your own by birth, and which, with God's
blessing on the efforts of your loyal subjects, I hope to see rendered
to you as your hereditary right, by the universal voice of the three
kingdoms."

"True, Doctor," replied the King; "but, in the meanwhile, can you
expound to Mistress Alice Lee two lines of Horace, which I have carried
in my thick head several years, till now they have come pat to my
purpose. As my canny subjects of Scotland say, If you keep a thing seven
years you are sure to find a use for it at last--_Telephus_--ay, so it
begins--

"I will explain the passage to Mistress Alice," said the Doctor, "when
she reminds me of it--or rather," (he added, recollecting that his
ordinary dilatory answer on such occasions ought not to be returned when
the order for exposition emanated from his Sovereign,) "I will repeat a
poor couplet from my own translation of the poem--

'Heroes and kings, in exile forced to roam.
Leave swelling phrase and seven-leagued words at home.'"

"A most admirable version, Doctor," said Charles; "I feel all its force,
and particularly the beautiful rendering of sesquipedalia verba into
seven-leagued boots--words I mean--it reminds me, like half the things I
meet with in this world, of the _Contes de Commere L'Oye_." [Footnote:
Tales of Mother Goose.]

Thus conversing they reached the Lodge; and as the King went to his
chamber to prepare for the breakfast summons, now impending, the idea
crossed his mind, "Wilmot, and Villiers,